I bought my 2019 Mirage ES with 56000km on it and have been using it to drive 10km to work and 10km back + errands and weekend driving. So far 0 issues with the car and I'm very pleased.
Some common complaints from "car critics" I'd like to address
-"It's not fast enough" To that I have to point out the fact that it's very easy to get up to 100kmh / 60mph. When merging onto the highway I put it in sport mode for a few seconds to get up to speed then back into regular drive and can comfortably cruise at highway speeds (90-110kmh)while keeping the RPM below 2500, often 2000. Acceleration definitely could be improved but it's definitely not an issue. If you really need to accelerate and have the CVT, use sport mode for a few seconds and you can do fine.
-"Handles poorly" If you're trying to corner at 60kmh around race tracks then I agree, the Mirage won't be cut out for that. However I can't think of a time I've ever had to bust maneuvers in light traffic, heavy traffic, in the city, on the highway or on country roads. If you go fast around turns physics will punish you but for regular driving it's no problem at all.
-"It's cheap..." It is! That's the point of the car. It's reliable, cheap, and simple. It's really the perfect commuter car and I appreciate it for that. I also am quite fond of the interior, despite the fact I know there are much fancier ones the 2019 Mirage is in a sweet spot because it has the new touch screen display with Apple car play and Android auto but also the old A/C with the 3 knobs that is nice to use. The interior doesn't have any flare but gets everything done nicely and It's good in my opinion. I am a car enthusiast so for a weekend car I've been thinking about getting a new GR86 or Camaro, but for commuting and running errands the Mirage is honestly the best car you can go for right now in my opinion.
-"Wheels 2 small" I can agree on that for sure, I'm going to get bigger 15" wheels to replace the stock 14" ones.
-"Noisy" I for one appreciate the rumble of the 3 cylinder engine but even if you don't it's not egregious by any measure and with music on it's easy to not notice it at all.
Things I like:
-Car has a timing chain, unscrew the oil cap on the engine and you can see it.
-EXTREMELY fuel efficient.
-Cheerful hatchback design (not for everyone but I enjoy it).
-Can be bought new for $15000 or less.
Overall I'm fairly certain the Mirage is the best or at least one of the best commuter cars on the market right now. Don't take my word for it though, listen to other owners and ignore "car critics" who are used to driving cars over twice the price as the Mirage.
The Yeti
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